Talking Points....
June 9, 2026
This week's group discussion will focus on Pastor Doug's enlightened series "Hearing God's Voice."
I. Part 2.
A. We need to be able to hear God's voice, and know how to recognize that it is Him talking to us.
1. God doesn't give up when speaking to us.
2. 1 Samuel 3:1-11 - Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon.
One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God. Suddenly the Lord called out, “Samuel!”
“Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”
“I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So he did.
Then the Lord called out again, “Samuel!”
Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”
“I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said. “Go back to bed.”
Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before. So the Lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”
Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy. So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed.
And the Lord came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!”
And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”
Then the Lord said to Samuel, “I am about to do a shocking thing in Israel.
3. How are you able to recognize God's voice as opposed to the other voices in your head?
B. We need to be in His presence.
1. Sometimes hearing from God is less about getting a specific word from God, and more about experiencing the nearness of His presence.
2. What things do you find helpful to help you to be in His presence?
C. God cares and thinks about us individually.
1. Psalms 139:17-18 - How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
you are still with me!
2. How does it make you feel to know that with all of the people in this world, that God cares about you personally?
D. The most common way God speaks to us is His written word.
1. Romans 10:17 - So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.
2. We need to get a word from the Word.
3. Share the last time that God gave you a word from the Word.
E. God wired us to communicate with Him.
1. God is still speaking, and His sheep still hear His Voice.
2. John 16:12-13 - “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.
3. Why do you think that God wired us to hear from Him?
F. We need to be in the right place to hear from God.
1. 1 Samuel 3:9 - So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed.
2. Too many people are in the wrong place, around the wrong people, following after the wrong plans, tuning in to the wrong frequencies and wonder why God appears silent.
3. God is waiting for us to get in our place so that we can hear from Him.
4. How has being in the wrong place, around the wrong people, following the wrong plans, and tuning in to the wrong frequencies prevented you from hearing from God, and what did you to to change that?
G. God will almost always give us our greatest revelation as we rest.
1. God came to Samuel while he was resting.
2. Share a time when God came to you while you were resting.
H. We need to value God's voice.
1. We need Samuel ears to do the things that God needs of us.
2. Did you ask God to give you Samuel ears last week? What happened?
II. Part 3.
A. God speaks to us through circumstances.
1. An example of this is what happened when Jonah chose not to listen.
2. How can we make sure that we don't end up like Jonah?
B. God speaks to us through wise council.
1. We need to surround ourselves with the right people.
2. What should we do to surround ourselves with the right people?
C. God speaks to us through peace.
1. Colossians 3:15 - And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
2. Philippians 4:7 - Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
3. How has God's peace helped you to know that He was speaking to you?
D. God speaks to us through people.
1. His word will not promote condemnation, unrest, or cause you to lose peace, and it is never manipulative in nature.
2. We need to be careful about the people we surround ourselves with.
3. Share a time when someone tried to give you a word from God that didn't line up with God's word.
E. God speaks to us through dreams and visions.
1. Not every dream is from God.
2. How have you been able to know that a dream or vision that you had came from God?
F. God speaks to us through thoughts.
1. Recurring thoughts can frequently be God trying to tell us something.
2. When we have a recurring thought, how can we know that it is from Him?
G. God speaks to us through nature.
1. Romans 1:18-20 - But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
2. John 12:29 - When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him.
3. Share a time when God spoke to you through nature.
H. God speaks to us through supernatural manifestation.
1. Examples of this are Moses' burning bush, Gideon's fleece, Balaam's donkey, and Hezekiah's sun dial.
2. Would you rather God spoke to you in a whisper or a supernatural manifestation, and why?
I. God speaks to us through the Bible.
1. This is the most common way.
2. Romans 10:17 - So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.
3. What things keep us from getting a word from God while reading His Word?
J. God speaks to us through a still, small voice.
1. God frequently speaks to us with a whisper.
2. Since God frequently speaks to us in a still, small voice to get our attention and make sure that we are listening, how should we speak to others?
K. Reflection time.
1. What has stood out to you the most with this message "Hearing God's Voice"
This week's group discussion will focus on Pastor Doug's enlightened series "Hearing God's Voice."
I. Part 2.
A. We need to be able to hear God's voice, and know how to recognize that it is Him talking to us.
1. God doesn't give up when speaking to us.
2. 1 Samuel 3:1-11 - Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon.
One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God. Suddenly the Lord called out, “Samuel!”
“Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”
“I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So he did.
Then the Lord called out again, “Samuel!”
Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”
“I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said. “Go back to bed.”
Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before. So the Lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”
Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy. So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed.
And the Lord came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!”
And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”
Then the Lord said to Samuel, “I am about to do a shocking thing in Israel.
3. How are you able to recognize God's voice as opposed to the other voices in your head?
B. We need to be in His presence.
1. Sometimes hearing from God is less about getting a specific word from God, and more about experiencing the nearness of His presence.
2. What things do you find helpful to help you to be in His presence?
C. God cares and thinks about us individually.
1. Psalms 139:17-18 - How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
you are still with me!
2. How does it make you feel to know that with all of the people in this world, that God cares about you personally?
D. The most common way God speaks to us is His written word.
1. Romans 10:17 - So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.
2. We need to get a word from the Word.
3. Share the last time that God gave you a word from the Word.
E. God wired us to communicate with Him.
1. God is still speaking, and His sheep still hear His Voice.
2. John 16:12-13 - “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.
3. Why do you think that God wired us to hear from Him?
F. We need to be in the right place to hear from God.
1. 1 Samuel 3:9 - So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed.
2. Too many people are in the wrong place, around the wrong people, following after the wrong plans, tuning in to the wrong frequencies and wonder why God appears silent.
3. God is waiting for us to get in our place so that we can hear from Him.
4. How has being in the wrong place, around the wrong people, following the wrong plans, and tuning in to the wrong frequencies prevented you from hearing from God, and what did you to to change that?
G. God will almost always give us our greatest revelation as we rest.
1. God came to Samuel while he was resting.
2. Share a time when God came to you while you were resting.
H. We need to value God's voice.
1. We need Samuel ears to do the things that God needs of us.
2. Did you ask God to give you Samuel ears last week? What happened?
II. Part 3.
A. God speaks to us through circumstances.
1. An example of this is what happened when Jonah chose not to listen.
2. How can we make sure that we don't end up like Jonah?
B. God speaks to us through wise council.
1. We need to surround ourselves with the right people.
2. What should we do to surround ourselves with the right people?
C. God speaks to us through peace.
1. Colossians 3:15 - And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
2. Philippians 4:7 - Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
3. How has God's peace helped you to know that He was speaking to you?
D. God speaks to us through people.
1. His word will not promote condemnation, unrest, or cause you to lose peace, and it is never manipulative in nature.
2. We need to be careful about the people we surround ourselves with.
3. Share a time when someone tried to give you a word from God that didn't line up with God's word.
E. God speaks to us through dreams and visions.
1. Not every dream is from God.
2. How have you been able to know that a dream or vision that you had came from God?
F. God speaks to us through thoughts.
1. Recurring thoughts can frequently be God trying to tell us something.
2. When we have a recurring thought, how can we know that it is from Him?
G. God speaks to us through nature.
1. Romans 1:18-20 - But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
2. John 12:29 - When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him.
3. Share a time when God spoke to you through nature.
H. God speaks to us through supernatural manifestation.
1. Examples of this are Moses' burning bush, Gideon's fleece, Balaam's donkey, and Hezekiah's sun dial.
2. Would you rather God spoke to you in a whisper or a supernatural manifestation, and why?
I. God speaks to us through the Bible.
1. This is the most common way.
2. Romans 10:17 - So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.
3. What things keep us from getting a word from God while reading His Word?
J. God speaks to us through a still, small voice.
1. God frequently speaks to us with a whisper.
2. Since God frequently speaks to us in a still, small voice to get our attention and make sure that we are listening, how should we speak to others?
K. Reflection time.
1. What has stood out to you the most with this message "Hearing God's Voice"